JM: Did you always have access to necessary medications?Jason: NoKat: No, and they don't give you water to take meds
and they didn't admin them correctly. DavidP: When you first come in, you're processed initially. They talk
about your health, and so on, and you tell them what you've
been receiving prior to coming to jail, or what you need at the
jail. Then they check with your pharmacy and your doctor. Those
people are going to know. It's kind of embarrassing, but they
can't take your word for it, so they check with the pharmacy and
the doctor to see how often they prescribe it, and the pharmacy
to see how often it's filled and how to provide it. The jail does
give it, but most of the time, they won't give the exact
manufacturer of the drug. They give a generic generic, but if
something new comes up, it's very, very difficult to have a new
prescription prescribed. They don't go out of their way to help
you. The doctor that's there, they're there all day, 12 hours.
Nurses are there 24 hours, but if you want something new,
there's one doctor that serves 300 people, and they don't work
fast when they want to work. It's difficult to get new
prescriptions if something comes up, whatever it may be. In my
case, it was really tough because I have gout. It's a condition
that swells up, and you can get it in different areas. You can get
it in your toes, and it's the most painful thing. I've had broken
bones, I've had a lot of things from sports that I've played, and
there's never been any pain as great as this gout, and it comes
on in a moment's notice, and within one hour, it's 0-10, and
when it's a 10, it's like a women giving birth. It's tremendous.
Anyway, it came on when I was there, and it comes on from poor
food, and a lot of sodium can cause it. Anyway, it came on to me
when I was there, and I couldn't even walk. I literally couldn't
walk. I had to have a cane and a wheelchair and crutches. They
wouldn't give me a thing. They didn't care - they wouldn't give
me a thing. It's difficult to get anything new, other than what
you're prescribed.
keke: hell no you could put in a sick slip and be
called to the nurse 2weeks later Teabag: NOCrystal: No they were withheld, generics substituted and I
became ill.Edward: no,the officers and in house doctors would tell
you nothings wrong with youisaac: yesLucky: yesLaydie: yesKathy: SometimesLisa: noApache: noJanet: NO.Ron: noRyan: yesLaetia: noLaura: Not prescribed.Fernando: no,sometimes you would have accessGail: Rarely.You had to beg.The only medication being
distributed in widespread form was Colace...For
everyone that ended up constipated upon coming
in..Yeah I loved it when they double dosed me and
I had a blowout in a bathroom with no
lighting.Totally missing the bowl and having to
run out of a stall with my pants half down,turning
on the light and cleaning up the shit I had inside
me for days,,,,,Yes this was a customary routine
when you first came in...Load em with Colace and
watch out for the Blowout......George: Yes they will give meds.Rich: yes for my blood pressureMark: Nooooooo!!! i have asked for doctors because i have
had multiple surgeries. i have had a cough and a
cold in jail and i have never received anything.John: sometimes depends on what was the problemJuan: yes like i said i got my methadone in a detoxed
fashion...thatis 3 mg les a dayErik: NO I DID NOT TAKE MEDSScott: yes, if it was prescribed my a doctor.Jason: YES IF YOU TOOK MEDICATION THEY BROUGHT IT TO YOU
TWICE A DAY. IF IT CALLED FOR A DIFFRENT SCHEDULE
THE YOU WAS OUT OF LUCK UNLESS IT WAS NON NACARDIC
AND COULD HAVE IT ON YOUR PERSONShawn: going to thedoctor was like pulling teeth nobody
wants to believe you ar esick and frankly i think
they could carless b/c some officer is going to
hav e to go out of his way to bring you ovrto medicalDominic: Inmates had access to medication. James: they are pretty up on med but they only come 2
time a day Carl: no it stayed with the duty guards Josh: No it took 6 months to see a dentistJose: I did not take any medications at the time.

JM: How did you get your medications?Jason: Once during booking from a nurse, for blood
presureKat: Nurse who did not wear gloves even when giving
eye drops before giving me my meds. Disgusting!DavidP: The nurses come around three times a day. For me, I only
needed it twice a day, so I only saw them twice a day, but three
times a day, they come to your area with a cart with all of the
drugs and medicine in a cart. Most of the time it's already put
into little Dixie cups with your name on it prior to them coming
to your area. They just call your name out and give you the cup
that has your pills inside, so they don't pour it out there,
They've already taken the time to do it. It's already ready, so
they bring it to you. They made you swallow while you're there.
You can't take the cup and walk away. There's even a guard
there with the nurse to make sure no one causes trouble,
because a lot of guys try.keke: please Teabag: You would have to put in request slips with the
Social Workers whom would come every 2 weeks.
The request would then POSSIBLY be processed
where you would be sent to see a doctor at the
dispensary and then if approved would be sent to
the hospital wing to be examined etc etc and get
the medications you needed. If you were (prior
to incarceration) prescribed psych medications
there was a 80% chance that if you spent 1-2
months in the county jail fighting your case
that you would not receive the medications that
you so desperately needed.Crystal: Nurse gives them and you must swallow them in
front of the nurse.Edward: after being sick and showing signs of being sick
sometimes you could get proper meds.isaac: nurseLucky: nurseLaydie: by asking the guards respectfully,and informing
them of your need for different kinds of
medicinesKathy: Have to ask for the guards to let you put in a
request for medics.Lisa: n/aApache: put in reqestJanet: A NURSE COMES 2 TIMES ADAY AND GIVES MEDS TO
EVERY ONE PERSCIBED.IF SHE COMES.Ron: noRyan: nurse came to the deckFernando: from the medical ward on the jail block,guards
have to be notified first,doctors check up and
then usually meds are givenGail: Beg,cry......They acted like Tylenol was the
Gateway drug to harder things........You had to
fill out forms to see dentists or doctors which
rarely were addressed and if they were addressed
in a timely manner it was only to pacify you aso
that you thought the County Jail was actually
going to do something for you and the better
ofyour health..George: I was not taking medication at the time.But other
would have the medication delivered to there floor
and dispursed in a paper cup.Rich: a nurse came around and despensed them to you at the
entrance of your unit, two to three times per day.Mark: i personally never got any medications in the jail
when i have requested to even see a doctor. i have
seen other inmates with medications prescribed in
jail.John: i got my medications by filling out a request
form in when the doctor or nurse got two you
that's when they got to you unless it was life
threatingJuan: i was escorted by an officer to the hospital
inside the jaill everyday with about 6 other
people...other medicationswere provided..but nop
narcotic based benzos adderrall etcErik: I HAD NO MEDS, HAD NO NEED FOR MEDS, DIDN'T WANT
ANY MEDS, AND DON'T LIKE AKING MEDS, AND I DON'T
TRUST THE COUNTYScott: A health care worker came by with a cart and
water and people meds. They also carried very
general stuff as well.Jason: NO I DIDN'T NEED ANY MEDICATIONS. I DID NEED SOME
CONTACT SOLUTIONS AND THESE WAS MADE AVAILABLE
FROM THE DOCTOR UNTIL I WENT TO COMMShawn: you would have to beg and plead to get your meds
and usually you wouldnt get anything medicl was
horribleDominic: I never required any type of medication, but if I had needed
medication, I would have been granted access to it. James: nurse would bring them. sometime depending on the
drug they would give you blister packs. for
narcotics they delivered by dose.
Carl: i never needed meds but others people would have to
see the doctor before any meds were given out to
anyoneJosh: A nurse comes by everyday with her cart. She'll
give you some asprin if you ask. Anything more and
then you have to go see a doc.Jose: Every morning a person would come in and people
would line up for their medications. They stated
their name and the nurse gave them the proper
meds. You were forced to take them in front of the
nurse and then the next person repeated the process.

JM: What types of punishments were incurred for abuse of drugs? Did you ever witness this?Jason: NaKat: Don't knowDavidP: There's a lot of shenanigans. A lot of guys get pain pills and stuff,
and they sell them in there. They try this all the time, so the guard
is always there. They bring it to your area. I just kept it nice and
easy - I didn't want any problems. I wanted to get out of there as
quickly as possible. So again, you don't want to cause any
problems to get you screwed up. keke: none they tell you to throw it away you got
crooked officers Teabag: If you were a known Heroin or Cocaine user prior
to incarceration and you complained that you
needed medication or wanted medical attention
that the request slips you submitted would be
thrown into the trash by the Corrections
officers. Officers would call you a HYPE or
generally mistreat you if you were dope sick!Crystal: NAEdward: dont knowisaac: beatenLucky: never saw any drug abuseKathy: Don't know, did not abuse drugs. Lisa: n/aApache: segragation transfer to worse placeJanet: YOU GO TO THE HOLERon: solitary confinementRyan: segregationFernando: i never witness punishments for drug abuse,but im
sure they had some,really tight security and lots
of persons,so if you not in the situation you
probably wont know whats goin onGail: None..But I have Osceola County Kissimme Florida
stories....But that'll be another $25 bucks....lol
I don't know what the procedures of the Cook
County Jail were at the time I was incarcerated
but I could never get anything.Osceola ---
Kissimmee is another story with their privatized
jail and drugging of people walking around like
zombies...I mean why even try and go home??You
have a bed,,nobody trying to get some..and you're
high??Nobody ever caught anybody there.Florida is
a cesspool of prescription drug abusers and the
jail has employees that know inmates because the
town is so small.......Did I tell you the first
time I tried cocaine was in the Cook County
Jail...The others insisted I do it and made a
giant line for me in my room..The guards were
coming and noone else would snort it so I
did...Never got caught even though I probably
talked myself to sleep that night.....Horrible
feeling... Funnier more that they didn't find it
in her shoes in plain sightGeorge: You would go to the hole for 48 hours and time
would be added to your sentence.I never used before.Rich: additional charges could be brought upon you. loss
of phone, visitation ,comissary, confinement, might
also be inflicted upon one who abused drugs.Mark: i have never seen with my eyes the punishments or
abuse other than when the jail guards would drag
the inmate who is in trouble on the floor to a
secluded area or room and i would be able to hear
the abuse. they psychically beat the inmates
sometimes and i have heard the inmates screaming
from the abuse and pain.John: the types of punishment were incurred for the
abuse drugs that they would charge you with a
additional charge SEND YOU TO THE hole i never
witness that it Juan: no never witnessed but i m sure you were put in
some type of isolation cell were your priveleges
of tv and commissary were taken away,,,all alone
with just the bible ...limited shoower time and
phone time tooErik: I DON'T KNOW, I HADN'T SEEN ANYONE ABUSE OR
MISUSE, THE MESS OR ANYTHING, BUT I IMAGINE MORE
CHARGES CAN BE FILED Scott: They only give one dose so hoarding drugs is
really impossible. I never seen anyone doing this
and it would have been easily seen.Jason: I NEVER WITNESS ANYONE GET CAUGHT. I KNOW THQT
DRUGS WAS THERE. INMATES WHO KNEW THAT THEY WAS
COMING TO JAIL WOULD INGEST THE DRUGS PRIOR TO
ARRIVAL THEN SELL AND BARTER THEM OFF FOR THING
THAT THEY NEED AFTER JACKING UP THE PRICEShawn: i know you would have to go to seg then get
another charge for bringing it into govt propert poorDominic: If an inmate was caught with illegal drugs, he was removed from
the
deck and placed in the hole, which was the jail slang term for
solitary confinement James: i didn't witness any of that. i didn't hear of any
of that in that div. i imagine it was there but i
didn't see itCarl: lock downs, more time to your sentence some times
the guards would beat the person if they caught them
with it but usually they would just take that person
to the holeJosh: Drugs are everywhere. The gaurds really don't look
because I think their afraid. I did see a guy get
arrested for making hoochJose: Out of all the drug use I witnessed, I have never
witnessed anybody getting caught. I heard that
they move you to another area of the jail, but I
never personally saw it.